 |
A twin massage room at Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Mandara Spa // (C) 2009 Hilton Hawaiian Village |
Hawaii’s weather sounds like a broken record: Mostly sunny, with windward to mauka (mountain) showers. Still, now and then, it does rain on Oahu. If your girlfriend getaway clients wake up to a wet Waikiki day, here’s an itinerary to keep their dispositions sunny.
Morning
Breakfast at the Royal Hawaiian. Everything’s pretty in pink at this 1927 landmark hotel, including the Surf Lanai, resplendent after the property’s recent restoration. While some tables are outside, a covering protects the main part of the restaurant, a picturesque place to start the day over banana- and macadamia nut-stuffed French toast.
Mandara Spa: The Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Mandara Spa is ideal for female friends because its treatment rooms can hold two and even three tables. After an invigorating Balinese body polish, the ladies can mellow out together during massages, then meet up in the spa’s relaxation area until their energy returns.
Iolani Palace. Most every girl dreams of magic castles, and this one delivers with history and romance. During a tour, clients see the immaculately-preserved furnishings that were part of everyday life for Hawaii’s royalty in the late 1800s and hear about Hawaii’s Queen Liliuokalani, imprisoned inside after the overthrow of the monarchy.
Afternoon
Lunch at Mariposa. Tell your clients about this award-winning dining room, located in Neiman Marcus. Perched on the third floor of Ala Moana Center, diners can indulge in a range of Pacific cuisine dishes like salads, soups, sides, sandwiches and artful entrees, perhaps enhanced with martinis.
Shopping at Ala Moana Center. Since your clients are already in Hawaii’s largest shopping mall, they might as well work off that big lunch hunting for souvenirs. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Ala Moana just gets bigger and better, with mainland retailers alongside shops found only in Honolulu.
Mixology Lessons. The classroom is Jimmy Buffett’s restaurant at the Beachcomber, and the courses are free. Every Monday and Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the Hot Spot Bar, the ladies can learn how to mix and pour some of the most popular libations in Polynesia, including the one and only mai tai.
Evening
Society of Seven LV. Over cocktails in the Outrigger Waikiki’s main showroom, girlfriends get a kick out of this septet of ultra-talented guys who sing, dance, do impersonations and basically charm audiences from start to finish. It’s a flashy Las Vegas-style production that sets the tone for an upbeat evening.
Dinner at Doraku Sushi. Originating in South Beach and now offering a second location in Waikiki, this sublime eatery offers Japanese fusion cuisine and one of the few sake sommeliers in Hawaii. Located on the third level of the Royal Hawaiian Center, it’s an East-meets-West mecca, from the seared tuna to the barbecued eel rolls.
Level 4 Nightclub and Ultra Lounge. One floor up in the Royal Hawaiian Center, girlfriends can wrap up their adventures with drinks and dancing at this late-night hot spot. A combination club and concert venue, Level 4 is a sexy and stylish gathering place complete with state-of-the-art sound, go-go dancers and a mechanical bull. Rain? What rain?
